CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris vowed Thursday to unite Americans and chart a “new path forward” as she closed out a star-studded Democratic National Convention, but gave few indications of the policy agenda she would use to get there.
Instead, Harris, 59, formally accepted her party’s presidential nomination in a speech that focused on her “middle class” background, portrayed former President Donald Trump as a “dishonest person” and that his election would have “very serious” implications for American democracy.
In her roughly 40-minute speech, Harris focused on her childhood and her “unexpected” path to the White House.
“America, the path that has brought me here these past few weeks has definitely been unexpected, but I’m used to unlikely journeys,” she said.
“My mother, Shyamala Harris, had someone similar. I miss her every day, especially now, and I know she’s looking down at me tonight and smiling,” she continued.
“At age 19, my mother traveled the world alone, from India to California, with an unwavering dream of becoming a scientist who would cure breast cancer.”
The former California attorney general emphasized that he grew up in a “working class” neighborhood in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“My mother mainly raised us. She rented a little apartment in the East Bay before we could buy a house. In the Bay you either live on the hill or on the flats. We lived on the flats. It was a beautiful working-class neighborhood with firefighters, nurses, construction workers, and they all took pride in caring for their lawns,” she said.
Harris, who accepted the nomination without giving any significant media interviews, finally delved into policy but offered few details.
“I will bring together workers, small business owners, entrepreneurs and American businesses to create jobs, grow our economy and lower the costs of everyday life like health care, housing and groceries,” she vowed.
“We will provide small business owners, entrepreneurs and founders with access to capital and protect Social Security and Medicare,” she added.
She then vowed to pass a middle-class tax cut bill that would “benefit more than 100 million Americans,” guarantee access to abortion and sign into law a comprehensive border security bill that most Republicans opposed this summer.
Democrats have been reinvigorated by Ms Harris’s emergence just over a month ago as the top 2024 presidential candidate to replace 81-year-old President Biden, despite the lack of vigorous policy debates or a policy page on her campaign website.
Kamala Coconuts’ “energy” was mentioned by many speakers and attendees at the Democratic National Convention, and it could be felt at the Convention Center on the final night during an all-night dance party filled with celebrity appearances, including a performance by pop sensation Pink and a speech by “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Longoria.
Attendees also cheered a video of Harris dancing, laughing and spreading “joy.” Delegates yelled after speakers used the fake, vulgar “couch” reference to Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
However, the atmosphere in the venue changed completely when attendees who had been expecting a special guest to introduce the presidential candidates realized that there was no special guest.
Rumors of Beyoncé performing reached a fever pitch Thursday night after TMZ reported that the superstar would be appearing.
The audience waited until the very last moment for a big star, only to find out there would be no surprise musical performance.
But NBA star and Olympic gold medalist Stephen Curry made a surprise video appearance, saying Harris was restoring “unity.”
“A Kamala presidency can bring back unity,” said Curry, who led the U.S. men’s basketball team to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.
“In the words of Michelle Obama, let’s do something! Let’s go vote!”
Ms Harris, meanwhile, used her speech to slam Mr Trump for being self-serving and say there are “no guardrails” in the White House.
“In many ways, Donald Trump is a dishonest man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” she said sternly.
“Donald Trump tried to squander your votes, and when that failed, he sent an armed mob into the United States Capitol where they attacked law enforcement officers,” she alleged.
Meanwhile, Trump, live posting during the speech on Truth Social, emphasized that Harris is “all talk and no action” and that despite being in office she has not achieved any of the causes she espouses.
At Billy Goat Tavern and Grill, a few blocks from the Democratic National Convention, former police officer Peter Garcia, 61, who was watching the Bears-Chiefs game instead of Harris’ speech, which was shown on multiple screens, also wasn’t impressed.
“She is afraid. She needs guidance and preparation before she says anything. It comes down to her not having her own ideas,” he said of her refusal to give interviews.
“What is she afraid of? If she is firm in her beliefs, she should be prepared to answer questions,” he added. “What would I say to her? Give up.”
Harris insists the interview will take place by “the end of the month,” her campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said Thursday morning, adding that the campaign will be “based” in the Biden administration, but did not offer any new details in her interview with The Washington Post.
The final day of the Democratic National Convention also featured speeches from the Rev. Al Sharpton, four members of the Central Park Five, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Governor Whitmer has sharply criticized Trump’s wealthy upbringing.
“Do you think he understands that if his car breaks down he can’t go to work? No, the first word he would say would probably be ‘driver,'” she joked.
“Do you think you’ve ever had to remove items from your cart before checking out? Do you think you’ve ever even been to a grocery store in the first place?”
Warren, who ran against Harris in the 2020 presidential election, took the stage in tears as she praised her opponent and said how much she trusted the vice president more than the former president.
“This election is about your families and your futures. I’ve seen Kamala Harris fight, I’ve seen her win, and when it comes to our families and our futures, Kamala Harris is the person we can trust. So with all our hearts and joy, let’s elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States,” Warren said.
During her speech, Harris explained how she decided to become a prosecutor, choosing the profession after learning that her best friend from high school had been sexually abused.
“This election gives our country a rare and fleeting opportunity to move beyond the bitterness, cynicism and divisive conflicts of the past — a chance to forge a new path forward,” she said.
“I will be a president that unites us in our highest aspirations. I will be a president that leads and I will listen. I will be a president that is real, practical, has common sense and will always fight for the American people. From the courtroom to the White House, that will be my life’s work,” she added of her vision.
Additional reporting by Steven Vargo
